Chapter 4
A dream come true
By Shinotenshi

	Zero, X, and the four rookie hunters entered the building where Vulture and Koala were 
spotted.  Zero stopped at the door.
	"What's wrong, Zero?"  X asked.  Zero shook his head.
	"N-nothing.  Nothing at all."  He said.  He recognized this place.  It was the building 
in his dream.
	"We should split up to look for them."  X said.  "We'll slit up into three teams.  Zip, 
you and Matrix go that way, Gamma you go with Zero and Beta will come with me. That okay with 
you, Zero?"  Zero nodded.
	"Let's just get this over with.  I don't like this place."  He muttered.  "Come on, 
Gamma."
	"Yes, sir."  Gamma said following him.
	"Bye, Gamma.  Bye, Zero."  Beta said.  Zero turned and smiled at her.
	"Finally."  Zero said.  "It took you long enough."  With that he turned back and they 
disappeared down a hall.
	"What was that all about?"  X asked as he and Beta walked down a hall.
	"He doesn't want me to call him commander.  He says to call him Zero."  Beta said.
	"So are you two an item, yet?"  X asked.
	"No, why?"  Beta asked.
	"I was just wondering.  He really likes you."  X said.
	"He does?"
	"Sure, he does.  If he didn't he wouldn't care if you called him commander."  X said.
***
	"Their here."  Spark Koala said.
	"Good."  Said Night Cat.  "You know what to do."
	"Zero is coming my way."  Koala said.
***
	"Keep you're eyes open, Gamma.  Spark Koala and Shadow Vulture are good at sneaking up on 
people."  Zero said.  "A shot from behind from Spark Koala can be fatal."
	"Yes, sir."  Gamma said timidly.  The hall was damp, dark, and cramped, as if the 
building had been abandoned for years.  The walls seamed to ooze with an uneasy feeling.  Zero 
continued on, unfazed.  But Gamma kept looking back, thinking he'd heard something, only to find 
it was just a rat crossing the hall or a stray cat chasing a mouse.  Zero's voice made him jump.
	"Look out, this floor board doesn't look too sturdy.  Don't walk on it."
	"Y-yes, sir."
	"Don't let this place get to you, Gamma.  I need you at you're best. You're no good to me 
if you break under pressure."  Zero said trying to calm the young hunter.  "When we're out here 
we depend on each other.  Spark Koala is out for keeps.  I need to know that I can depend on you 
if I'm in trouble."
	"You can, sir."  Gamma said.  "I won't let you down."
	"I know you won't."  Zero said.  There was a sound in the distance.
	"What was that?"  Gamma asked.
	"I don't know."  Zero said.  "But we're going to find out."  Zero and gamma continued on. 
Eventually they reached an empty room.  
	"There's nothing here."  Gamma said.  The lights blinked on.
	"Wrong."  Zero said.  "Spark Koala's here."
	"Right as usual, Zero."  Came a voice behind them.  A hand grabbed Gamma around the 
throat.  "Move and I'll fry the boy's circuits."
	"Let him go, Koala."
	"Now why would I do that?"  Spark Koala said.
	"What do you want, Koala?"  Zero asked.
	"Turn around."  Spark Koala said calmly.
	"So you can shoot me from behind?  I don't think so."  Zero said.
	"I don't need to shoot you in the back."  He replied.  "I have you at my mercy.  If you 
want the boy to live, turn around."  Zero clenched his teeth, he didn't have any choice and he 
knew it.  He sighed and turned.  There on the wall was mounted and odd little device.  As Zero 
looked at it, it began to glow, then there was a searing pain that shot through him light a bolt 
of electricity.  He let out a cry of pain that echoed through the halls of the old building and 
fell to his knees.
	"Commander!"  Cried Gamma.  "What are you doing to him?!"
	"Giving him a change of mind."  Spark Koala said with a laugh.
***
	Across the building, X and Beta heard the scream.  "That's Zero!"  Said X.
	"And you next!"  Came a voice ahead of them.  Out of the shadows appeared Shadow Vulture. 
 "Die!"  He shot a blast at them.  X easily dodged.
	"I don't think so, you defective buzzard."  X said.
	"I NOT DEFECTIVE!"  Vulture shouted as he fired again, this time at Beta.  She gasped as 
the blast came at her.  Just before the blast hit her X pushed her out of the way.
	"Oh, you're going down for that."  X said.  He charged his arm cannon and fired at 
Vulture.  The blast hit Vulture and slammed him into the wall.  "We have to get to Zero and 
Gamma."  X said to Beta.
	"By time get there it be too late."  Vulture said.  The scream stopped.  "It too late 
now.  He gone."
***
	Zero was silent as he sat there.  "Commander!"  Gamma called.  "Get up!"  Slowly Zero 
stood.  
	"It worked, Spark."  Zero said.
	"Commander?"  Gamma said fearful of the odd tone of Zero's voice.
	"No, boy."  He replied.  "Zero's not here."
	"What?!  What have you done to him, you bustard?!"  Demanded Gamma
	"Shut him up, Spark."
	"Sure thing, Night Cat."  Spark Koala said.  Spark Koala sent a jolt through Gamma 
short-circuiting him.
	"You and Vulture clear the area.  I'll remove the device and take care of the other 
hunters."  Night Cat said.
	"What do I do with this guy?"  Spark Koala asked.
	"Take him back with you.  Lock him up with Zero."  Night Cat said.
***
	Zero opened his eyes.  The pain was gone, but the room had changed.  He was in a cage of 
some sorts.  There was a monitor on the wall and he was on the screen.  "What's going on?"  he 
gasped.  His voice was different.  He looked down.  This wasn't his body.  He heard a laugh.  He 
looked up and Fire Wolf stood before him, out side the cage.
	"Welcome to my humble abode, Zero... or should I say Night Cat."  Fire Wolf said with a 
laugh.
	"What have you done to me?"  Zero demanded.
	"It's simple.  You're now in Night Cat's body, which means Night Cat is in yours, and no 
one else knows.  Well except that Gamma kid, but he won't be talking."  Fire Wolf pointed to the 
screen as Spark Koala zapped Gamma.
	"Gamma!  No!"  Zero Gasped.
	"We tapped into the security cameras in that building.  You can see everything he does to 
you're little friends."  Fire Wolf turned on a few other monitors, showing X, Beta and the other 
hunters.
	"No! X, Beta!
***
	"Vulture, mission accomplished.  We're out of here."
	"10-4."  Vulture said into his communicator.  He smiled at X.  "I go."  With that he 
vanished into the shadows.  
	"Damn it!  He's gone!"  X said.
	"We have to get to Zero and Gamma!"  Beta said.
	"Right."  They ran off down the hall.
***
	"Zero!"  Beta called as she ran into the room.
	Night Cat turned to face Beta.  She smiled brightly.  X came running up behind her.  He 
too was smiling.
	"You're alright!"  She said, her stormy blue eyes full of admiration.
	"You had us worried."  Said X.
	Night Cat smiled.  They had no idea.  He pulled Zero's Z-Saber and, before either could 
react, he plunged it into Beta's abdomen.  She cringed in pain and looked up at him in confusion 
before the life left her eyes and she collapsed.  Night Cat smiled down at her, his hands stained 
with her blood.  X stared in horrified shock.  He knelt at Beta's side and looked up at Night 
Cat.
	"Zero...  Why?"  He asked in a shaky voice.
	Without a word, Night Cat turned and walked away.  As he left he could hear X lightly sobbing, repeating quietly:
	"Wake up...  Wake up..."
	"Two down, two to go before I come back for you, X"  Night Cat said quietly.

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umm... I think I was supposed to put a disclaimer in somewhere.  
I don't own the characters that I don't own, and I do own the characters I do own.  Umm.. 
don't sue me.  Don't use mine without asking permission (which I'd probably give).  Thanx 
shinotenshi_81@yahoo.com